….Following Abduction of Local Politician
Five Nigerian pastors and several other individuals from the Idabato II community in Cameroon, formerly part of the Bakassi Peninsula, were arrested by Cameroonian authorities following the kidnapping of a local official.
The community’s Divisional Officer, Ewane Roland, and another official, Etongo Ismaeil, were kidnapped by armed men on October 1, 2024, using a flying boat in the coastal area.
The Cameroonian government blamed Nigerians for the abduction and deployed soldiers to arrest them, leading to panic in the border community. During the raid by Cameroonian forces, soldiers shot sporadically into the air, creating fear among local residents, particularly Nigerians in the area.
Among those detained were Nigerians like Iseoluwa Eniola, Feran Ajimosun, and several members of the Ajimosun family, as well as others like Sunny Bassey and Godwin.
On October 8, 2024, Cameroon’s South-West Governor, Bernard Okalia, visited Idabato and declared a total lockdown, affecting mostly Nigerian fishermen in the area. He issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the community to produce kidnapped official Roland alive.
The lockdown severely impacted the livelihood of Nigerians, particularly fishermen, leading to hunger and frustration as they were unable to work for weeks. Despite the lockdown, residents defied the order in early November to continue their fishing activities, angering Cameroonian authorities, who deployed soldiers on November 10-11 to arrest Nigerians, leading to injuries from gunfire.
During the lockdown, Cameroonian soldiers arrested five Nigerian pastors—Adeleke Omoniye, Cascar Ubom, Etim Asuquo, Olamide Ayeye, and Umoh Atete—when they resumed church services, despite being banned from holding activities. Following the arrests, many Nigerians in Idabato fled to neighboring areas in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states due to the ongoing repression, creating widespread panic within the community.
Esther Okon, a Nigerian woman in Idabato, died on October 20, 2024, after giving birth and bleeding to death due to lack of medical treatment during the lockdown. Her condition could have been treated if she had been transported to nearby Ibaka in Nigeria, but travel was restricted.
After Okon’s death, her body was repatriated to Nigeria, specifically to Ibaka, after her husband signed necessary documents with Cameroonian authorities.
Conflicts between Nigerians and Cameroonian authorities in Idabato have been fueled by accusations of tax evasion. Nigerians have presented receipts showing they paid taxes, though some taxes may not have been properly remitted. Attempts to involve the Nigerian Consulate-General and the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) have not been successful in addressing the issues faced by Nigerians in Idabato, with responses from both sides remaining unhelpful or non-existent.
Despite the 2002 ICJ ruling that awarded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, around 50,000 Nigerians still live in Idabato, considering it their ancestral home, even though it is now under Cameroonian control.
Peoplesmind
